Our Kind Sponsors
by elleme123
Summary: Even those who mean well, and send gifts to help the tributes on the way to winning can be a danger. Find out how. A selection of one shots about well intended gifts gone wrong. *Please R&R!* Sorry for the disappearing act.
1. knife

Our kind sponsors

They were coming, I could hear them slashing through the trees. Their drooling mouths gaping wide, ready for me, my flesh. Faces twisted with hunger and hatred. Long, clawed limbs reaching forwards and hitting the ground, growing closer. Grey and brown fur was flashing between the trees, I could see them then. Wolves. I grabbed a tree branch and climbed, higher, higher, away from them. I needed a weapon, so I could fight them. A sword or mace or trident, just something. Then I saw it, the flash of silver that would save me. I saw it, snagging in the leaves, but drawing near. A knife. The one thing that may save me. Then a mottled, grey-brown creature leaped. I yelped and pulled away, drawing my scraped, dirty knees towards my thin shivering body. The I remembered the knife and looked up, too late. I felt it before I saw it. The blade sliced through the air, plummeting to the ground below. The parachute fell loose. I looked and my panicking thoughts were confirmed. The berry-red liquid coating the blade was my blood. The strip of glaring colour on my wrist inflicted by my distraction. The excited creatures below lapped up the blood that coated the ground. Black splodges coated my vision and I grabbed a branch to avoid the fall, getting caught in my light blond hair. As my fingers tensed The blood flow increased, I snatched the silky slither of silver fabric from the twigs above and twisted it around my wrist. I watched in a repulsed fascination as the fabric was coated in a flush of colour. It flowed towards the edges, darkening to the shade of velvet on my escorts dress. Oh yes, my family. Would they be sad about my death? Of course they would be. Best then to try and make it seem I was not too worried. I lifted the fabric aloft and said 'It's a pretty colour, isn't it mum?' Then the splodges thickened and my vision faded. Good bye mum, I wanted to say but my mouth wouldn't move. I felt like I was falling. Then there was a ripping feeling as my body was tugged back and forth between rabid monsters. Thank you my sponsors, but I would have preferred a sword.


	2. net

I was so hungry, I hadn't been able to find the materials to make a trap and I never thought to learn to hunt during training. I stumbled through the trees, looking for something to eat. The edges of my sight were encrusted with pink and blue stars, Shrouding my peripheral vision. I stepped on a twig that was dryer than I first thought and a sharp crack filled the air. I winced and moved forwards, dragging my boot-clad feet through the damp leaves. All around me half-rotted leaf litter covered the ground, tall trees lifted their pale, bare branches high into the air and the thick, thorned bushes rose around me, like an inescapable net of spite. I sigh and tug my coat tighter around my muscular body. Leaving the careers was a mistake, I knew it but there was no going back. I had sneaked out during my watch and took supplies, they would have killed me, if they found me then. I was beginning to falter, looking for a place to rest, when I saw a print. Only it wasn't the light print of a skipping rabbit, or the scratched markings of a bird, the things I had wished to find. I stepped closer, it was the churned, deep footprint of a human. I frowned and crouched to look more closely at it. A right foot, large so probably a male like myself, dragged at the front, so they were running. Running from what I wondered. Then there was a dull thump and I looked up, was it a person or a large mutt? I grabbed my knife but it wasn't going to help me. I was trapped it a net. My sponsors had finally realised I needed food. I wriggled a little, trying to get out but it was larger and heavier than I first assumed. I rolled over and cursed, I was caught. I struggled for hours before realising I wasn't going to escape in that way. Then I raised my knife to cut the net, I raised it three inches before the net stopped it. I swore and tried to saw through it from the twisted angle I was in. I growled in frustration as I dropped the knife. I was caught in the web of the Capitol. My ginger hair was in my moss green eyes and I was sweating profusely. I knew then I would never escape. With a last, feeble thrash I slumped to the ground. The stars were covering my vision so I closed them. I was tired so I went to sleep. I was in the hunger games so I died.


	3. bread

I was not doing too badly at that point, I had avoided being killed and for some reason I had sponsors. Each morning a fresh loaf fell from the sky and I would eat half, and save half for the next morning. I was walking through the grasslands when the morning loaf fell, but as I was kneeling to put it away I saw that it was tinged green. I frowned and sniffed it. I could tell that it was poisoned immediately. It was clearly intended that I use it to kill someone. So I stuffed it into the bag I was carrying and set off. There was a camp in the area so I began to search. Within an hour I found a strand of silver-white hair in the trees. I sighed and shook my head, my carefully tied back, raven blue-black hair bobbing slightly. Of course that snobby kid from eight was too vain to tie her hair back. I imagined her wandering through the trees, checking her reflection in puddles. I looked around for a few minuets and found her camp. I took the loaf and tied it back up in the parachute, dropping it before sprinting away. I was sure she would eat it. I climbed a tree and decided to celebrate my first kill with lunch. Dredging two loaves from my bag I quickly took a large bite. There had been an odd taste to the loaf and I had coughed as it went down. Too hungry to think things through I had dismissed it as an old and stale taste. By the time I had finished the first half I felt sick. I regurgitated the spoiled food and it sloshed across the ground below. I grabbed my stomach, groaning loudly but I still did not understand. Why did it hurt so much? I gasped, gagged and growled in frustration. Why was I dying? Oh, I thought, that's it, I'm dying.

I managed to stagger to the ground, where I knelt in the congealing liquid. I tipped my head skywards 'Give me-ahh!' I gasped 'Th-aah, Th-e-e cwure.' I frowned. My tongue was swelling. 'Cwu-cwuuu-cu-core.' Biting my tongue in an attempt to reduce the swelling, I found myself retching and choking on my own blood. The sensation of it sending my sprawled in the fetid mud. Then my tightened throat, and trickling blood, drowned me.

Darned bread.


	4. light

It was dark and I could see their bright, mint-green eyes glowing. I was on watch, Assam was sleeping soundly. He was happily oblivious of the creatures encircling our camp. I considered waking him for a moment, but I didn't want him to see my fear. Ever since he failed to join the careers he was irritated to have to join me. He moaned incessantly about how I was weak, and how I was going to kill us with my stupidity.

He was right, I knew it.

I could feel them watching. Through the trees, the thick, leaden weight of the darkness, my light brown hair as it hung limp at my shoulders, quivering in time with my body and right at me. I screwed my eyes tightly closed, it was still dark, but the eyes were gone.

That was bad.

It meant they were really there, not the eyes of the dead that often watched me then, that everyone assured me didn't really exist. Real eyes, in real animals. I could hear them, always drawing nearer. Like some sick game of 'what's the time mister wolf'. At any moment I would hear the words 'dinner time' but they would signal my end, not the end of a game.

That's when it fell, the lifesaving gift. It bounced against my thigh and landed elsewhere. But I didn't know. The darkness hid it. When I opened my eyes I was alerted to the presence of a large mutt of some kind. It was like a tiger but it's fur was too long and thick, then there were the fangs. They jutted from its mouth like two great stakes. All of this was illuminated by a flash of moonlight, that had found it's way through the clouds by some miracle.

It also illuminated the silver strip of fabric that lay tauntingly close, trapped under the beasts foot. I fumbled forwards, in the once more impenetrable night. I felt fur, and there was a feral, hissing, growl. I grabbed the item and recognised it as a torch. I vaguely remembered how the mutt had cringed back when the moonlight shone. I pressed the switch, flicking the beam into the eyes of the animals that were spelling out my impending doom. I scurried across the clearing and settled down against a tree. Now there was a light, I was safe.

Or not.

There was a rustle, and I swung the torch in the right direction. Feeling the blood gushing from my face as I backed away in fear shaking Assam, turning deathly pale. With a desperate lunge I hit the closest career with my torch, my light flickered out and my life followed shortly after.

There was a knife in my chest, Gurgling noises were emitted as I breathed. Only I didn't do a lot of breathing then, because I died. I may have bled out but my lungs filled and I drowned, it was slow and painful. Then I was dead. Blood crusted on my chin as the hovercraft waited for the careers to leave. My lips turned purple and my eyes glazed over. The careers stripped me of food, water weapons and then my torch. They prised it from my stiff, cold fingers and bashed it against a tree, when it would not work they cast it aside.

But that torch.

It had been a beacon for me, showing me a way through the fear I faced.

It had been a beacon for the careers, showing them the way to us.

My life, had been short. My life, had been ended. Not by the careers. Not by the Capitol. By my torch.


	5. hair

'Oh for God's sake!' I near yelled, as my hair, which had been perma-straightened by my Capitol prep team, fell into my eyes for the hundredth time. I missed my curls. I had had a beautiful head of dark brown, haphazard ringlets before they stuck their noses in. My contacts were itching like hell too, the gamemakers had decided that glasses gave me an advantage. Something about starting a fire with the lenses.

Yeah, right, like I'm stupid enough to try that. One there's the smoke, two I wouldn't be able to see the kindling. I reasoned the Capitol just didn't want me to win. Any idiot could do laser eye surgery. Just press the button and the machine did it. I hissed and rubbed my eyes.

Oh, silver. I snatched the tube that floated down and read the label. 'Frizzie hair.' Charming. I splodged it on my head and then rubbed it in. Nothing.

I wandered a little longer. Where is everyone? There must be someone in this damned arena I thought. I trudged over a hill and saw a gleaming pool of water. The tubes contents were thickening in my hair and there was a treacle like finger running down my neck. I grabbed my sword and headed down, it was surrounded by thick trees on three sides, making it a dangerous place to stop. I thrust my head straight into the pool. I heard a faint hissing, as my hair pushed against it's self. My scalp prickled and I pulled myself out.

'An afro?' I screamed. I swore and started hacking at trees. The one thing I had been proud of was my hair. A thick, rubbery tentacle splurged from the pool. I swore again and tried to pull my sword free.

But it was stuck.

I heaved, as the purple tentacle wrapped it's self around me. It would not let go when I bit it. My teeth could find no purchase on it's greasy skin. My hands were slipping from the hilt of my still lodged sword. For no apparent reason the legend about the sword in the stone slid into my mind. The one where only the future king can free it. I was shoved under the water and into the glowing water below. The bits of dirt floated and were highlighted by the sun, turning them into glittering flakes of gold.

Then I was in a tunnel. I felt my arm drag against the ragged edges and blood blossomed into the water. It swirled around, in curling patterns. As my foot was shredded against another ledge, I curled into the foetal position. The suckers of the unknown creature pulled my skin, drawing blood. I exhaled in pain, seeing the bubbles spiral away rapidly. I wondered if I would bleed, or drown to death.

Then I was irked as I realised the purple ball of slime was robbing me of my opportunity to kill the other tributes. The darkness had deepened, but there was an eerie glow coming from the razor-coated walls. All at once I was in a circular chamber. The tunnel disappeared from sight as the purple slime glazed over the gap. A green liquid secreted from the walls. I wondered what it was briefly before seeping from consciousness.

A second later I was blasted back to the real world by a searing flash of pain, that coated my entire body. I opened my eyes, seeing for a second my flesh blistering. My eyes were filled with the burning poison and I was left thrashing in pain as I burnt in acid, at the same time as drowning. I gulped and inhaled the liquid. Then my insides were on fire. I convulsed for a few, final moments of agony before sliding from the world, just as my flesh slid from my bones.


	6. match

I was cold. It was dark. So dark in fact I only just caught the silver object float down before me. I watched it land before getting up and flicking my hair from my eyes. I grinned as I saw the gift 'Ooh, yay! Matches!' I said, with honest pleasure. I struck one and watched it's flame before trying to light a leaf. It smouldered and went out. I frowned. If I had been at home, Fearn would of lit the fire. I thought of her, long, wavy, blond hair. Like gold on the surface, with wood-brown layers underneath. I smiled, as I remembered stealing her bobbles, forcing her to wear it down.

It looked best down, I thought.

I gathered a few twigs together and, striking three matches at once, lit them. I was a little worried about the light, but the trees grew so close, and the undergrowth was so thick I needn't of worried. Once I had it going nicely I sat on my heels and settled into my daydreams. I thought of Fearn, smiling as we ate our breakfast, frowning as we tried to save enough money to buy our own house. I thought of how she would tell me that I should try to find a safer job. Oh, how she hated it when I went into the mines. But the rubys, emeralds and sapphires, the diamonds and the amethyst. I wished I could show her how lovely they looked. She had never seen them. I never let her work. I loved her, I didn't want her to get hurt.

Then I hurt myself. I fell forwards into the fire, putting my right hand out to stop my fall. It hurt, I remember how it hurt. Similar to the time I had cut myself, through my palm, when I tried to slice the fruit Fear had collected. But this was more widespread, it went deeper into me and it felt like there had never been a time when it didn't hurt. I risked a look, in the flickering firelight, it was mottled pink in places, but in others it was the colour of the beautiful of the rubys. I glared at the sky, waiting for my medicine. 'Any time today would be lovely.' I say, trying to keep the sarcasm from my voice.

But no cure came.

Three days later I still had no relief. In fact it was getting worse. The flesh was blistering, which I took as a sign of it healing. It was the colour that worried me. On top of the original shades of red and pink, there were green tinges and my unaffected skin was turning paler. I wandered around for hours. I couldn't remember what I had planned to do, but decided it couldn't matter that much. The trees looked pretty when they sparkled, and the butterflys, that I could never catch, could fly straight through me, without my feeling it.

When I met a person they raised their sword. I raised my uninjured arm and said with a wobbly smile 'Hello! I wasn't expecting to see you. There aren't a lot of people around here, are there?'

He drew his arm back, then paused. 'I think the Capitol will like to see that kill you. So I will leave you for now.' I frowned at this, as he turned on his heel and strode away. It wasn't that bad really. Silly man, I was going to be fine.

I decided to take a nap, and when I woke I was hot, and sweaty. My blond locks were smattered against my forehead. 'Coome uh, on Jaymay.' I groaned as I stood up. There was a flash that turned my vision white, as my hand, the bad one, tapped against my side. I lay down and gasped for a while. I was cold. The pain was building now, I was trying to think how to make it stop hurting, grinding my hand in the dirt, shaking it, hitting it. Then Fearn was there. Jamie, don't go. Not yet. I sighed and shook my head.

'Bye, bye. Bye. Bye, bye. Bye, bye, bye, bye bye. See you. Uhh, later Fearn.' I closed my eyes and an icy finger stroked my heart. I shuddered, it was cold. Then I died. I didn't want to be dead though. I wanted to stay with Fearn. But now I couldn't get back. I heard a cannon, way off.

Goodbye Fearn.


	7. feedback

Hello! I have decided to list my reviews, thank the people sending them and, in some cases, reply.

Thank you to:

Penelope Wendy Bing

dracocrazy322

Daydreaming Viking Girl

EStrunk

LupeHunter

for reviewing!

Replys:

Penelope Wendy Bing: I am currently under quite a lot of stress at school, mainly because I spend most of my time on fanfic. When I get my Easter holiday typos will decrease and new chapters will be more regular. Thank you for reading :D

dracocrazy322: Thanks for all the complements! I think you are probably my most consistent reader.

Daydreaming Viking Girl: Thank you for reviewing and giving an opinion!

Estrunk: Your constructive criticism is always a highlight. :)

LupeHunter: As a privilege of being a real life BFF your death is next xxx

Thank you once more! Oh, and if you enjoy this feedback then let me know in a review, and it may become a regular thing.

P.S. There is a prize to whoever figures out, and PM's me what Jamie died of. It is a certain type of infection.


	8. blade

It was ridiculous. We had gone to sleep in the woods, with all of our weapons and food, three swords, a bow and a quiver of arrows, seven knives and a mace, as well as three rabbits, a squirrel and a whole pack of roots, leaves and berries. Then, when we woke up, we had nothing. Fair to say we were all a little confused.

That's when Detritus turned around. 'This is your fault!' He roared at me, then his face turned redder as he saw my disregard at his comment. 'Lupe, you have done nothing for this alliance since you joined. We voted last night, you're out!' I frowned at this.

Then, as Detritus loomed towards me, arms outstretched, a gift dropped. It landed hilt-first on the ground right by my feet. I cast my gaze about before picking it up, undoing the shimmering straps and turning towards them. 'Seeing as I am the only one in this alliance with a weapon, I think we should probably take that vote again.' I said calmly.

Predictably I won this time, and things were going well, if a little stiffly until dinner. I had used my knife to ambush a stray fawn, and I was slicing the meat. Detritus announced 'you have to hand over your knife to me, as I am the group leader.'

Then I was irritated 'Says who? Oh, no- let me guess! You voted? Funny, how I never seem to be around for these votes.'

He smiled sarcastically and then said, in an impressive monotone 'Knife.'

'Look, you know what? As far as I can tell, the chances of me waking up again tomorrow if I sleep with this alliance tonight don't look promising.' I stood and grabbed my fawn, hauling it's limp, dead body over my shoulder. As I swung back around I noticed the other three were watching with interest. 'I am going now.' I said slowly, mouthing every syllable in turn. They sort of nodded a bit, then looked away.

Detritus of course objected thoroughly. He objected in fact, with a force which involved trying to punch me. So I did the logical thing, I cut his hand. I lashed out again, but only just ripped his shirt above the shoulder before he grabbed my wrist.

He twisted my hand.

He plunged the knife into my stomach.

He watched me stagger, fall to the ground.

My hair brushed against my cheek, it's straggling ends limp in the wind, varying shades of brown and blond. I clenched inwards, around the wound. 'Shouldn't you finish her?' asked one of the three.

'No, she's going to die anyway. Now come on! I don't have all day.' Detritus ordered.

And as I lay, waiting for the end, I thought. It may have happened anyway, but the knife, that made it certain. He wouldn't stand for another to hold a weapon he did not. My sponsors, what did you do? I could of left, of won the game. But now I was fading. The clarity of the world spiralling out of control. In my last moments I lifted a red-stained hand, to clutch my token, a simple silver charm of a wolf. My guardian. It was slick between my fingers. Then I let go of the world, yet my fingers remained, clasped around my last possession.


	9. compass

**As promised I will now reveal the truth about Jamie. He did in fact did of gangrene. **

**I am so sorry for taking so long, I have a lot of GCSE tests going on right now, so I need to revise a lot of the time. I will try to get some up now though.**

Loath to admit it, I was lost. I had absolutely no idea where I was. I finally gave up, moving away from the scrubby bushes and into the rocky, uneven desert. I knew it was stupid, even then but I couldn't bring myself to care. I kicked a stone and heard it clatter on some rocks, I stepped over a ridge to fetch it when I discovered the pit. It stretched for miles. A cavernous hole filled with grinning, thorny spikes. I stepped back, thudding down on the edge of a grey rock, that rutted out from the desert floor. Closing my eyes I took account of my situation: It was approaching noon, I had no idea how to get back to my camp, I had no food, My water was running low, I had no extra clothes and I was, not to repeat myself- lost.

Great.

I opened my eyes and stood up, trudging along with decreasing speed as the hours wore on. I felt as if my dirty blond hair was being frizzled, withered in the heat. My blue-green eyes were sore and itchy, grimy around the lids from the dry dust.

After another few hours I gave up. My bottle was empty, haunted by a mist of moisture, pressed against the inside of my empty, clear plastic bottle.

Taunting me.

Like the lake, I could see it, but it was always too far away. I hunched forwards, sheltering my face from the suns angry, itchy rays. I cried, a dry gagging, choking noise in my throat. As I gasped I looked up, seeing silver. I lunged forwards, grabbing my gift as it drifted over the edge of the crevice.

I fell.

On my stomach, my head and shoulders overhanging. I grasped my gift, finding another as it fell on my rock. The first was a bottle of cool, clear water. The second A compass. So I, Molly, downed half the liquid, and followed my compass north. However I soon grew irritated with having to watch both the compass and my feet, flicking my gaze between them. Casting any regard for snakes and poisonous insects aside I continued forwards.

And fell.

On my stomach, once again. The force hitting the bruises of the first fall clenching me in a ball. I stood slowly and continued, delirious from dehydration. I continued.

Left foot.

Right foot.

Left foot.

Right foot.

Left foot.

Right foot.

Left foot.

Right foot.

Pit fall.

I spiralled into the pit below, the crystalline liquid of my present leaving a dark stain where it fell. I was impaled through the stomach, hung like a grim Christmas tree decoration. On a single tooth. The carnivorous jaw of the cliff. My blood streamed like a raindrop, steaming as it rolled down the spike. It hurt. Like a thousand knives had been thrust through me at once. I shuddered uncontrollably, the force of my convulsions pushing me further down the spike, deepening the pain, thickening the crimson rivers. I struggled there, like a crushed spider, for my last seconds. I clenched inwards I final time. Seeing the water in my blood part in my clouding eyes. I died there. The mingling liquids glistening below.


End file.
